Lorraine Feather, Orcas Island resident and nationally renowned jazz lyricist and singer, will be joined by long-time accompanist Shelly Berg for an evening of high energy jazz tunes and clever lyrics on Saturday, Feb. 14 starting at 7:30 p.m.
Born in New York City, “Billie Jane Lee Lorraine” comes from impressive musical lineage. Her father, the late jazz writer Leonard Feather, and her mother Jane, formerly a big band singer, named their daughter after her godmother, Billie Holiday, and her mother’s ex-roommate, Peggy Lee. Early on, Lorraine balanced an acting and waitressing career (she was in the Broadway production of Jesus Christ Superstar), but quickly tiring of unemployment, she tried her hand at singing.
With jobs as a backup singer for Petula Clark and Grand Funk Railroad under her belt, she put her own jazz act together, moved to Los Angeles and began performing in jazz clubs. She started writing lyrics to classic pieces by Fats Waller and Duke Ellington as well as new tunes with preeminent living jazz composers. The five CDs she has recorded since 2001 have brought her rave reviews, and her 2008 CD Language achieved the #1 spot on jazz radio. As a lyricist, Feather has written songs for Disney, MGM and the Summer Olympics. She has received seven Emmy nominations.
Pianist, composer, arranger and educator Shelly Berg is a recording artist for Concord Records, as well as the accompanist of choice for prominent jazz artists worldwide. In addition to his longtime collaboration with Feather, Berg has worked with vocalist Patti Austin, trombonist Bill Watrous, KISS, Chicago, Bonnie Raitt, the Royal and Dallas Philharmonic orchestras, and the American Symphony. He has composed for television, film and the 1986 Olympic Festival. Berg is the Dean of Music for the Frost Music School at the University of Miami.
Feather and her husband Tony Morales are proud parents of rescued dogs and cats, currently Sterling and Brava. The evening’s concert will honor the Orcas Animal Protection Society (APS), with a portion of the proceeds of Feather’s CD sales benefiting APS. Audience members are also encouraged to bring dry dog or cat food for local animals. Concert-goers can also support APS by enjoying a pre-performance dinner at Christina’s at 5 p.m. – the restaurant will donate 25 percent of the proceeds to the Orcas Animal Protection Society.
Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. concert are $24, $16 for Orcas Center members, and $10 for students. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.orcascenter.org or call or 376-2281 ext. 1 during box office hours, Thursday-Saturday, noon to 4 p.m.
